Caulking iron



March 5, 1963 c. w. LINDLEY 3,079,816

CAULKING IRON Filed Feb. 29, 1960 Fig.

United States Patent 3,679,816 CAULLLEG ERGN Clarence W. Lindiey, 24395 17th St, Corpus Qhristi, Tex. Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,64 2 tClaiins. Cl. 78-47) This invention relates to tools and more particularly to caulking irons.

When two pieces of sewage pipe or other similar pipe are joined it is necessary to caulk first with oakum and then with lead in the joint in order to prevent leaking and seepage. The type of pipe referred to has a bell at one end and a male portion at the other end adapted to fit into the adjacent bell of another piece of pipe.

In forming a joint, the bell of one pipe has the male portion of the other pipe inserted thereinto and the pocket around the male portion and located within the bell is packed with oakum to approximately one-half the depth of the space. The remainder of the space is filled with hot lead. It is the usual practice to tamp or tighten the lead to form a completely water-tight joint. Normally two caulking irons are used, one for a first full cycle of operation and then the other for a second cycle of operation. The caulking irons are struck with a hammer in the use thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a caulking iron which eliminates one of the two separate cycles of operation in the tamping procedure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a caulking iron which will enable one of the conventional caulking irons to be eliminated in that the functions of both conventional irons are achieved with a single caulking iron in accordance with the invention.

Briefly summarized the instant concept has to do with a manually usable one-piece or unitary caulking iron expressly designed and adapted to expeditiously and effectively tamp poured caulking lead in the aforementioned pipe joint. This caulking iron comp-rises a rigid shank which has a proximal end portion terminating at an upper end in a suitable impact surface for reception of hammer blows in a now well known manner. The other or distal end portion is of special construction. More specifically this distal end portion is bifurcated lengthwise, the resulting elongated furcations constituting similar directly opposite blades. The leading or working ends of the blades terminate in planar surfaces which are beveled to define tamping surfaces. The blades are resilient and separated from each other by an intervening space. The beveled end or tamping surfaces converge in a direction toward said space.

One of the features of the invention is an adjustment allowing the sections of the split end of the iron to be spread to selected widths.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the formation of a pipe joint by the use of a tool in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the tool.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing a modification of the tool.

In the accompanying drawing there is an illustration of two sections 19 and 12 of pipe, and the pipe is absolutely conventional. Bell 14 is at one end of section 1%, and the portion 16 of section it} is inserted in the bell 14. After "ice insertion approximately one-half of the circumferential pocket or cavity 13 between portion 15 and the inner surface of bell 14, is packed with oakum packing 29. Lead, heated to a temperature at which it will flow, is poured into cavity 18 and on the top surface of oakum 20. The lead 22 completes the joint, but it is essential that the lead be tamped. As mentioned previously this procedure ordinarily requires two irons if the custom of the trade is to be followed. Further, two separate procedures with the irons are necessary.

Tool 24 is an iron which combines the functions of the two customary irons in one tool and which must be used only once to achieve the same results as the successive use of the two different irons.

Tool 24 is made of durable metal, for instance, tool steel and has a shank 26 with an offset 23 between the two ends thereof. One end 3% receives hammer blows and the other end 32 is the end which works the lead 22. The end 32 is bifurcated or split longitudinally and the spaced furoations thus define two direct opposite integrated blades 34 and 36. The blades are longitudinally tapered as shown in FIGURE 1. As shown in FIGURE 3, the blade 34 has a convex outer surface 38 while blade 36 has a concave outer surface 49, and surfaces 38 and 4t match the side wall curvature of cavity 13. Surfaces 42 and 44 at the lower ends of blades 34 and 36 are beveled or sloped outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the split between the blades, and the angularity is approximately 15 degrees as measured fro-m a plane passing through the outer-most edges of surfaces 42 and 44-.

There are adjustable means for adjusting the spacing between blades 34 and 35. These means preferably consist of a setscrew 46 which is threaded into tapped opening 48 extending transversely through blade 34. A hexagonal wrench receiving opening 59 is in the setscrew do in order to turn the setscrew, and the setscrew has an inner end which bears against the inside surface of blade 36. Consequently, the spacing between the two blades may be varied by turning the setscrew. The inherent resilience and elasticity of the blades tend to hold the blades close together and the function of the setscrew is to spread the blades the necessary distance which is a matter of judgment of the user.

As shown in FIGURE 4, tool 24a is a modification omitting the setscrew. Blades 34a and 36a are identical to blades 34 and 36 except for the tapped opening 4-8 (FIGURE 3) which is omitted since there is no setscrew.

In use of tool 24 or 24a, it is handled exactly like a conventional caulking iron. The inherent resilience md elasticity of the blades 34 and 36, plus the bevel of surfaces 42 and 44 will cause the blades to tend to spread to work the lead 22 properly as the lead is tamped in cavity 13. Each hammer blow on the tool causes the lead to be worked down into cavity 18 and to be compressed against the side wall surfaces of this cavity. The deflection of the blades causes the working toward the cavity side wall surfaces in a manner which is more satisfactory than the single operations with separate tools. Further, the inside blade functions as a guide for the outside blade when it is laid firmly against the portion 16 of pipe it? or vice versa.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually usable one-piece caulking iron designed and adapted to tamp' and seal concentric inner and outer marginal edge portions of lead which has been poured in the joint around the pipe ends of the aforementioned joint minating in a lead tarnpin'g portion, said distal end portionbeing laterally onset in respect to the longitudinal axis of said shank and being bifurcated lengthwise and defining and providing a pair of directly opposite elongated furcations constituting blades, said blades terminating attheir' leading ends in planar tamping surfaces, said tamping;

surfaces being at right angles to the axes of said blades and being beveled, the beveled surfaces' converging' in a direction toward a space existing between the aforesaid furcations, and said blades being. yieldably resilient, the

inherent resiliency of said blades serving to normally spread and space the blades apart but permitting the blades to approach each other to a restricted extent when the tamping situation necessitates minimal yielding of the blades toward each other, one'of said blades constituting an inner blade and the other blade constituting an outer blade, the entire lengthwise surface of said inner blade being concave and thus adapted to occupy a position when in use adjacent to and alongside a convex surface of a coactilig pipe end, the entire outer lengthwise surface of the outer'blade being convex, the convexity thereof being conformable to a predetermined arc to coincide with a coneave surface of the cooperating pipe end with which it is used.-

2. A manually'u'sable one-piece caulking iron designed and adapted to ramp and seal concentric inner and outer marginal edge portions of lead which has been poured in the joint around the pipe'ends' of the aforementioned joint comprising: a rigid shank having a; proximal end portion terminating in an impact surface designedand adapted for reception of hammer blows and a distal end portion terminating in a lead ta mpin'g portion, said distal end portion being bifurcated lengthwise and defining and providing a pair of directly opposite elongated furcations constituting blades, said blades terminating at their leading endsin planar tamping surfaces, said tamping surfaces being beveled and the beveled surfaces converging in la direction toward a space existing between the aforesaid furcations, and said blades being resilient and separated from each other by said space, one of said blades constituting an inner blade and the other blade constituting an outer blade, the entire lengthwise surface of said inner blade being concave and thus adapted to occupy a position when in use adjacent to and alongside a convex surface of a co-. acting pipe end, the entire outer lengthwise surface of the outer blade being convex, the convexity thereof being con-t form-able toa predetermined arc to coincide with, a concave surface or the cooperating pipe end with Which it is used, and a 'setsorew' threaded through a screw-threaded hole provided therefor in a median portion of said outer blade and having an inner end bridging the space betweensaid blades and having a terminal portion adapted to abut an inner lengthwise surface of the inner blade in a V manner to forcibly spread the blades apart Whenever necessary or desired, or to be backed, out and to pem'nit the blades to respond individually'to forces imposed thereon when an impact is transmitted thereto by way of said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent,

Randall June 7, 1919 

1. A MANUALLY USABLE ONE-PIECE CAULKING IRON DESIGNED AND ADAPTED TO TAMP AND SEAL CONCENTRIC INNER AND OUTER MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF LEAD WHICH HAS BEEN POURED IN THE JOINT AROUND THE PIPE ENDS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED JOINT COMPRISING: A RIGID SHANK HAVING A PROXIMAL END PORTION TERMINATING IN AN IMPACT SURFACE DESIGNED AND ADAPTED FOR RECEPTION OF HAMMER BLOWS AND A DISTAL END PORTION TERMINATING IN A LEAD TAMPING PORTION, SAID DISTAL END PORTION BEING LATERALLY OFFSET IN RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK AND BEING BIFURCATED LENGTHWISE AND DEFINING AND PROVIDING A PAIR OF DIRECTLY OPPOSITE ELONGATED FUREATIONS CONSTITUTING BLADES, SAID BLADES TERMINATING AT THEIR LEADING ENDS IN PLANAR TAMPING SURFACES, SAID TAMPING SURFACES BEING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXES OF SAID BLADES AND BEING BEVELED, THE BEVELED SURFACES CONVERGING IN A DIRECTION TOWARD A SPACE EXISTING BETWEEN THE AFORESAID FURCATIONS, AND SAID BLADES BEING YIELDABLY RESILIENT, THE INHERENT RESILIENCY OF SAID BLADES SERVING TO NORMALLY SPREAD AND SPACE THE BLADES APART BUT PERMITTING THE BLADES TO APPROACH EACH OTHER TO A RESTRICTED EXTENT WHEN THE TAMPING SITUATION NECESSITATES MINIMAL YIELDING OF THE BLADES TOWARD EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID BLADES CONSTITUTING AN INNER BLADE AND THE OTHER BLADE CONSTITUTING AN OUTER BLADE, THE ENTIRE LENGTHWISE SURFACE OF SAID INNER BLADE BEING CONCAVE AND THUS ADAPTED TO OCCUPY A POSITION WHEN IN USE ADJACENT TO AND ALONGSIDE A CONVEX SURFACE OF A COACTING PIPE END, THE ENTIRE OUTER LENGTHWISE SURFACE OF THE OUTER BLADE BEING CONVEX, THE CONVEXITY THEREOF BEING CONFORMABLE TO A PREDETERMINED ARC TO COINCIDE WITH A CONCAVE SURFACE OF THE COOPERATING PIPE END WITH WHICH IT IS USED. 